Last night, the Notre Dame hockey team attended the CCHA Awards Show, appropriately themed “Celebrate the Legacy.” This was the last awards show for the CCHA, a conference that after 42 years will hold its last championship game on Sunday.

It was a night for reflection and celebration, as coaches and players assembled one last time to honor a conference that has been important to the history of collegiate hockey.

Around 8 pm, the CCHA awards were handed out, and Notre Dame Hockey was well represented.

Joe Rogers accepted the Terry Flanagan Memorial Award, an award honoring a player for perseverance, dedication and courage while overcoming severe adversity

Joe was born with an underdeveloped right hand that keeps him from closing his catching glove. As a child, he had operations that took a bone from his foot to try and reshape the thumb on his left hand. Despite the obstacles, and with a custom-made glove, Rogers has learned to catch the puck and pull it into his chest to make a save. Joe has become a role model for kids with handicaps that want to play sports, especially hockey.

Rogers becomes the third Notre Dame player to win the award, following Erik Condra (’09), who won it in 2009 and Dan VeNard (’08) who took the honor following the 2007-08 season.

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